Preparing for Knee Surgery
Welcome
You’ve decided to have a knee joint replacement – great news! The information on this website is designed to help improve your recovery and give you the upper hand when it comes to returning to a full and active life after your surgery.
Have a look at the video below to hear more about what to expect from knee replacement surgery.
This website is divided into two chapters that correspond with the two blocks of this study.
Chapter 1 goes with the first block, and Chapter 2 goes with the second block. It is best if you wait until the second block of the study before you explore Chapter 2.
Chapter 1
Understanding Pain : Optimising Recovery
Chapter one is divided into two sections; Understanding Pain, and Optimising Recovery. In this chapter you’ll learn that knee replacement is highly effective and after your surgery, you can expect to be able to do many activities that are currently challenging. You’ll also learn that it’s normal to experience some pain in the early stages after surgery. This is not a sign of problems with the new joint but is usually due to increased activity in your nerves. This chapter will also help you understand why one of the best ways to optimise your recovery and settle your nerves is to get your knee moving as soon as you can after surgery.
Chapter 2
Preparing for Surgery: Stress & Relaxation
Chapter two is also divided into two sections; Stress, Worry & Pain, and Ways to Relax. You may wonder why we talk about stress as part of preparation for surgery, as it may seem like an unrelated topic. But we know that both stress and anxiety (and many other states of mind) have very real effects on the body, and can influence surgical outcomes like pain. Therefore this module will introduce you to some information about stress and anxiety and their effects on the body, and explain why it is worthwhile to reduce stress and anxiety around the time of your surgery. One of the most straightforward ways to do this is to use relaxation techniques to ‘switch off’ the body’s stress response. We’ll teach you a range of relaxation techniques and encourage you to practise these daily – you’ll learn a valuable skill that you can use now and after surgery.
